Divide and Conquer
by Crystal1960
Summary: Summary: Steve dated Tony, things didn't work out. Steve dated Loki, and then something happened. Something unforgivable. So Steve walked away, and swore he would never look back. Until someone from his past looks back at him. it gets better, I promise. Warnings: mentions of Stony, and Captain/Loki, and Tony/Loki. Rated T cause I'm paranoid. Please R&R!
1. Walking Away

Chapter 1

Walking Away

_Summary: Steve dated Tony, things didn't work out. Steve dated Loki, and then something happened. Something unforgivable. So Steve walked away, and swore he would never look back. Until someone else looks back at him. Warnings: mentions of Stony, and Captain/Loki._

_Just to let you know, this is the first fanfic I have ever written, so please bear with me. Also, I have no beta and I do not read comic books. Thanks and enjoy and let me know what you think._

Steve walked into the elevator at Stark tower, relieved. It was late and he was beyond tired. His mission had gone easier than expected and he was home a day early. He was hoping to surprise his boyfriend, Loki, who had turned from a villain to a hero because of Steve.

He was also looking forward to seeing the rest of the team as well. Despite things being awkward between him and Tony at first, things were now going quite smoothly between the two.

Yeah, there were still a few awkward moments, but it wasn't anything the grown men couldn't handle.

And so, as the elevator dinged signaling his arrival on his and Loki's floor, the last thing he expected was Loki, naked and moaning on the couch, with a naked Stark on top of him.

Needless to say, Steve was shocked.

Loki heard the elevator ding and raised his head to see who the unwelcomed visitor was. The moment he saw that it was Steve, he shoved Stark off of him and unto the floor.

"Hey what…?"

Steve's brain was finally beginning to process what was going on. "What. The. Hell."

His voice was flat and he was struggling not to shout and throw them both out of the window.

"Steve." Loki had magic-ed some clothes on both him and Stark to make things less awkward. "I swear I can explain everything."

Steve was about to cut him off when Clint slid out of the vent above him rambling, "You guys better not be naked cause Steve's back early and if he catches you to I swear I will not be coming to your funerals."

Clint had landed with his back to Steve, so Steve grabbed Clint by the shoulders and turned him around, "You knew!?"

Clint's eyes were wide with shock, "Um… well… you see…"

This time it was Tony who spoke up, "The whole team, expect you, knew. We wouldn't allow them to tell you."

Steve pinched the bridge of his nose and breathed deeply. He had loved Tony, but he just couldn't handle the billionaire's constant antics, so it was a mutual agreement that the two needed a break. Then, Loki came along, and Steve took it upon himself to help the man find his purpose. It just so happened that they both fell in love along the way.

At least, Steve thought that Loki had loved him. It seemed that Loki was just playing with Steve's heartstrings instead.

And to make matters worse, it seemed as though the whole team knew about Tony and Loki. They _knew_. And they hadn't said anything to them.

Loki was sitting on the edge of the bed, looking at Steve with worry. "Steve?"

Steve opened his eyes and spoke, his voice filled with rage and betrayal. "I quit."

Clint looked at Steve with his head cocked slightly to one side, "Quit?"

Steve nodded his voice just barely stable, "I'm done. I'm no longer going to be a hero, or an Avenger, or a soldier. I quit. I'm done."

He then stepped into the elevator, pressed the button for the lobby and stared into space until the doors closed, cutting him off from the hurt. As soon as the elevator started to move, he leaned against the back wall of the elevator and slid down, chocking out a sob.

Things weren't supposed to be like this. He wasn't supposed to be so sad. Things were supposed to be ok; he was supposed to be happy.

It was times like these that made him wished he had stayed frozen in the ice.

The elevator stopped in the lobby and Steve slowly got up and walked out. He walked away from Stark tower and away from his team.

He walked away from his family, away from his life as a superhero, away from everything he had come to love in this world.

He wanted nothing to do with it.

He was done, and all he wanted to do was to live the rest of his life in peace.

Too bad life had other plans for him…


	2. So Cold

Chapter 2

So Cold

_Hey guys, so I'm super excited and nervous as to what you think, so I've decided to post this A.S.A.P._

_Also, I forgot to say this, but all the characters belong to marvel, expect for my own. I'm not profiting from this, all rights belong to Marvel, so… yeah…_

_Thanks! Please no haters! Criticism is welcome, because I'm an aspiring writer, but no hate please. I know I'm far from perfect! _

Steve really wasn't thinking when he said that he quit. He was really furious with everyone and everything that had some connection to the Avengers, but after moving in to Stark Tower, he had sold his apartment and didn't bother even cashing his paychecks or putting the money in the bank, because he honestly didn't think he'd ever need it.

At least, not for a while anyways.

Bu here he was, standing outside in the middle of November with no money, no food, and no clue where he was. He was in New York, that much he knew, but otherwise, he was lost.

As soon as he left Stark tower, he had just started running and he didn't stop until his feet burned and his vision was blurry. In hindsight, he probably should've taken his bike, or at least grabbed his bag from the floor of the elevator.

Aw well, it was too late to turn around now.

He had blearily stumbled into a dark alley and slumped down against the cold and filthy was. He buried his head in his knees which were pulled against his chest, and finally, he stopped holding back. He cried, and he cried.

He cried for Peggy and Bucky and Howard. He cried for Tony and Loki, and he cried until all that came out were choked sobs, and then his tears ran dry and he drifted off to sleep.

When he woke, he was cold, which was something he didn't like. Also, his neck and back were cramped, which was also unpleasant. He began to wonder why he was sleeping in a position like this, when he remember.

His boyfriend and his best friend. His bed. Naked.

It broke his heart into a million pieces as he remembered everything that had happened, how the team knew, how they didn't tell him.

They were probably all waking up around then and wondering what had happened to Steve and where he was, and if he was alright.

But Steve had meant it when he said that he was done. He was never going back there. He was never going to help save the world. He was done. The end. Nothing more to write. End of story.

And it broke Steve's heart. Because this is what he did. This was who he was. He was a hero, the man with a plan. He had taken down the Red Skull and sacrificed his life so that people wouldn't die.

Then, seventy years later, fate had given him another chance. Another chance to be happy, and to live a fulfilling life.

Now it just seemed like fate enjoyed throwing things in his face.

So Steve stood and stretched his sore muscles as he thought about what he could do. He certainly wasn't going back to Stark Tower. And he sure wasn't going back to SHEILD, not after he said he'd quit. He also knew that he'd have to lie low, because both the Avengers and SHEILD would be looking for him. But he didn't have anywhere to go.

"Hi there."

"What?"

The voice came out of nowhere.

"Up here dummy."

Steve looked up to see a young girl, probably about twelve or thirteen, perched dangerously on the edge of the fire escape. She had vibrant blue eyes and flaming red hair. She was thin and pale, yet she looked to be in perfect health.

Steve instantly became concerned that the girl would fall. "Careful!"

The girl smiled playfully, "Don't worry, even if I fall, I won't die. A fall from this height would barely even faze me."

Steve just looked up at her in wonder. How was she staying so balanced like that? Even Natasha didn't have balance that great.

"What's your name?"

"Huh?"

"What's your name? You got a name don't you?"

"Um… Yeah… Steve. My name's Steve."

"Well then Steve, it's nice to meet you."

The girl jumped off the fire escape and in one fluid motion bounced from the escape to the wall of the opposite building and onto the ground.

"My name's Scarlett. Although my friends call me Scar… if I had any friends at least…"

"Hello Scarlett. That's a very pretty name."

Scarlett smiled brightly. "Thanks Steve. It's cause of my red hair. Say, you look pretty cold, do you want to go somewhere warm and get a bite to eat?"

Steve looked at the ground and suddenly became very interested in his shoe. "I don't have any money."

"That's ok Steve, cause I do. My parents were loaded, and when they died, I inherited all of their money. Come on, it's so cold, and I don't know about you, but I'm starving."

Scarlett grabbed Steve by the arm and pulled him out of the alley and into the brisk chill of the morning.

As Scarlett led the way, Steve couldn't help but to think that Scarlett reminded him a lot of Peggy.


	3. Coulson lives

Chapter 3

Coulson Lives

_Lots of Views, hardly any Reviews. I'm starting to think people just think I'm a crappy writer…_

_Also, I'm not too sure I like this story, so if anyone has any comments or suggestions, that be great!_

_Here we go… chapter 3… please help me..._

_Please Review!_

Steve could honestly say that was probably the best breakfast he'd ever had in his life.

The breakfast didn't even taste that good, it was edible, but not fantastic or anything. It's just that Scarlett was such an easy person to get along with. She was funny and smart, and yet even though she was rich, she wasn't snobby or self-obsessed.

She was independent and brave and Steve found that he got along with her very well. They stayed at the small diner for about an hour, before Scarlett asking where Steve lived.

He automatically replied with the Avengers Tower, which made Scarlett's eyes go wide in shock.

"Wait. Steve? As in Steve Rogers? Captain America?"

Steve nodded dumbly, hoping no one had heard her practically yell his name. Fortunately, no one in the small diner seemed to care who he was.

"Wait." Scarlett's eyes had narrowed and she seemed to be looking at Steve in a funny way.

"Yes?"

"How did you get to Boston with no money and no car?"

Steve nearly choked on his tea, "Boston!"

"Yeah. You didn't know which state you were in? Did you, like, hit your head in a fight or something, cause you're a long way from home pal."

Steve leaned back into the seat. "Boston." He didn't know how far Boston was form New York, but he knew it was far. He didn't think he'd run that far.

"Speaking of fighting, why aren't you with the Avengers? Shouldn't you be, I don't know, saving the world or something?"

Steve looked down at his hands which were resting in his lap. "I'm not… I'm not an Avenger anymore."

This time it was Scarlett who nearly choked on her tea. "What?! Whatdya mean, you're not an Avenger anymore?!"

Steve didn't look up as he spoke, "I quit."

Scarlett was outraged; she was barely keeping her voice below a full-out shout, "Quit! You can't just quit the Avengers! You're their leader! They need you!"

Steve still didn't look up, "It's complicated."

"Bull crap."

"Please."

"Bull. Crap."

Steve was angry now, Scarlett just wouldn't let the topic drop, "Thanks for the meal. I'll see you around Scarlett." Steve grabbed his jacket off the back of the chair and walked out of the diner.

It took Scarlett a moment to process what had happened, but once she did, she was right behind Steve, "Look Steve, I'm sorry. I kinda got a little carried away, I don't know the whole story, and it was wrong for me to judge you like that. I'm sorry."

But Steve wasn't listening. He was staring at that person standing in front of him. A person who was supposed to be dead.

"Captain Rogers."

"Agent Coulson."

"We need to talk."

"I thought you were dead."

"Technically, I am."

"Why are you here?" Steve was done with the small talk; he wanted to get straight to the point.

"Director Fury has asked me to come and bring you back to SHEILD."

"Is this because I quit?"

"Yes."

"Then I'm not coming back. I quit, and that's it. There's nothing more to be said."

"Loki and Tony, as well as the rest of the Avengers, would like to apologize."

"There's nothing any of them could say that would convince me to come back."

Coulson sighed and nodded, "I figured as much. If you're not coming back, then I would like to give you this." Coulson opened his bag, which was surprisingly large, and pulled out Steve's shield. He handed it to Steve, but Steve didn't take it.

Instead he stared at him with cold emotionless eyes, "I quit. You can give that to whoever you chose to replace me."

Steve turned around and walked away.

Scarlett, who had stood to the side, had heard the whole conversation. "I'll take his shield, Mr. Coulson. And don't worry; I'll help him to get his life back on track. America isn't about to lose its greatest hero because of a dumb heartbreak."

Coulson handed her the shield and nodded his thanks.

Scarlett tucked the shield under her arm and ran after Steve, who had already disappeared around the corner.

Coulson smiled sadly as he watched her go. If Scarlett was watching after Steve, then he knew that everything would be ok. After all, Scarlett was Peggy's Granddaughter and a superhuman too. Coulson knew that Steve was in good hands.


	4. Walking back

Chapter 4

Walking back

_A/N: so I've decided to make this chapter a little longer, hoping to get more people interested in the story._

_Thanks so everyone who Faved, Followed, and Reviewed! You guys are awesome!_

_Also, I have finals coming up, so updates might not come as quickly in the next week or so._

_. ._

Steve walked quickly away from Coulson, tears threatening fall at any moment. He thought he could handle it, but saying no to Coulson, who was without a doubt his biggest fan, was much harder than he thought.

In fact, as soon as he rounded the corner, Steve broke into a full-out sprint and hastily pushed passed all of the people who got in his way.

He didn't notice that there was another person following him until he reached a dock and was forced to stop and turn around.

When he turned around, he saw Scarlett leaning against the post of the dock, one hand against her knees as she bent over, and the other holding his, no, Captain America's, shield.

She sighed and walked over to him. "You forgot this."

He shook his head, "That's not mine."

Scarlett sighed, "Look, Steve, I know that you said that things were complicated, and that's why you left, but your _team_ needs you. And if you won't go back for them, then also, _America _needs you. Heck, the _entire world_ needs you."

"They don't need me, they need Captain America."

"No, they don't."

Steve looked at Scarlett with slight interest, waiting for her to elaborate.

"Look, Steve, anyone can dress up in spandex with a star on their chest and call themselves Captain America. Anyone can undergo medical experiments to become some sort of hero. Heck, anyone, even me, could be Captain America if they really wanted to."

"You're not exactly making me feel any better."

"Let me finish Steve. Anyone can hold this shield and claim to be America's golden boy. Anyone can punch an enemy where it'll hurt; anyone can help to win a war."

"Is this going anywhere Scarlett?"

"Shut up and let me finish! However, not anyone can lead the Avengers. Not anyone can make that split second decision that'll safe hundreds of lives. Not anyone is willing to die for what they believe. Not just anyone can save the world. It has to be you. Steve, Captain America is just a symbol. He's some guy from the forty's. You however, are not just some guy. You're Steve Rogers. You stood up to bullies when you didn't have a chance. You never let the bad guy win. You fought hard, even when there was a good chance you would lose. You may not be Captain America, but I'd rather follow Steve Rogers than Captain America into battle any day."

Steve looked at Scarlett in disbelief.

So, she continued, "You're brave, and loyal. And you are stronger than anything the bad guys could throw at you. You're sure as hell strong enough to overcome this. Your team means well, and I'm sure they were just trying to protect you from further pain. They're your team. Your family. Forgive them. And go _home_ Steve."

Home.

Somehow, Scarlett's words touched him deeply. Maybe he had just over-reacted because he was tired. Maybe he should've stayed to talk things out. Maybe things weren't as bad as he thought.

Steve smiled and took the shield from Scarlett. It was amazing how much she reminded him of Peggy. It was amazing how much she was able to change him in only a few hours.

"You know Steve, maybe it's best to let go of your past."

"Huh?"

"I can see it in your eyes. You don't want to let the past go, cause you're afraid you'll forget."

"Was it that obvious?"

"To me… yes."

"Oh."

Scarlett laid a comforting hand on Steve's shoulder, "Steve?"

He looked at her, "Yes?'

"The past is what makes us who we are. You can never forget it, and you have to stop running from it. Bucky's death wasn't your fault, and neither was crashing that plane."

"How do you know all this?"

"What do you mean?"

"About Bucky's death and the plane?"

"My grandmother was Peggy Carter. She told me countless stories about you. She also told me what to say is I ever met you. She wanted me to tell you that she loved you, but sometimes, you have to let go of the past, and focus on your future."

"Peggy had a child?"

"Yes, my mother. Peggy was able to move on Steve, and so should you."

Steve paused and took a deep breath, trying to process all of the information. "What do I do now?"

"Now… now you do whatever your heart tells you to do."

"What if I don't know what my heart is telling me?"

"Then, you improvise." Scarlett grabbed Steve's hand and placed a small circular object in it before letting go. She stepped back and smiled, "I'll wait over by the end of the dock while you think about things."

She walked over to the edge of the dock and sat facing the water, her back to Steve.

Steve looked down at what she had placed in his hand. His heart skipped a beat as he realized what he was holding. He could never forget the feeling of the smooth metal in his hand, or the familiar dents that had been because of so many fights with it in his pocket. It was his compass, from the war. The one with the picture of Peggy…

His hands shook as he opened the compass carefully. To his happy surprise, the picture of Peggy was still inside, looking as though it hadn't aged a day. He choked back happy and heartbroken sobs as he stroked the picture gently with his thumb.

Suddenly, he knew in his heart what he had to do. Maybe he was the man out of time, but that didn't mean that he couldn't be happy.

Steve stood and walked back over to Scarlett, the compass tucked safely away in his pocket.

"Scarlett?"

She stood up and turned to face him. "Yes Steve?"

He quickly wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly as he whispered, "Thank you."

"Any time Steve."

Then, the world seemed to explode.

It didn't now really.

Just the dock they were standing on actually, but still.

It wasn't particularly pretty. Or fun. Or painless.

In fact, Steve was pretty sure he was missing a good portion of one of his arms.

And Scarlett… well… she wasn't doing to hot either.


	5. Orders

Chapter 5

Orders

_A/N: So, yeah… I decided to completely change where this story was going. I was originally planning on having it be a little more mushy and touchy-feeling, but I decided it needed a little more action. So. Yeah… _

_Also, because of the lack of interest in the story, I've decided that it'll only be one or two more chapters._

_As always, please read and review. I really would like to know what people think. Criticism is welcome just not pure hatred. _

_Thanks to all my followers and reviewers!_

. ..

Tony was never one to settle down. He liked things on the fast track, always moving, always busy. That's one of the reasons things never worked out with him and relationships, whether it was with Pepper or Steve…

Steve.

Tony knew that he would wind up hurting Steve, breaking him, at one point, but he never really thought about it until it happened. The look on Steve's face as he stepped back into the elevator was one that Tony would never forget. He just couldn't.

And it didn't help that Loki had chickened out and had almost immediately gone back to Asgard.

Tony huffed impatiently as he sat around the conference table in the Helicarrier.

Nick Fury was currently in the middle of a ten minute scream session at him and the rest of the Avengers (minus Loki of course).

He was saying something about being irresponsible and how Steve was irreplaceable and blah, blah, blah.

Tony had tuned him out after the first thirty seconds. He was already feeling guilty, and the last thing he need was old captain eye patch layering on even more guilt.

"Tony! STARK!"

Tony snapped to attention when he realized Fury was calling his name, "Yes gorgeous?"

Fury ignored the comment and practically ordered, "Since this is mostly your fault, it's up to you to find Steve and bring him back. Talk some sense into him, apologize."

Tony sighed; he had work to do on the Ironman suit. He didn't have time to track down an emotionally deranged grandpa and "apologize." Apologizing wasn't really Tony's thing. He usually just bought the person a nice gift, or let them be mad at him. He really didn't care.

Tony sighed again, "Fine. Where is he?"

"He's in Boston." Agent Coulson stepped into the room.

Everyone's faces, except for Natasha's, and Fury's, clearly expressed the shock at seeing their friend alive and healthy.

"Coulson!" Clint practically jumped out of his seat and gave his old friend a large hug. "You're alive! You're not dead!"

Coulson laughed at Clint's childish behavior, "Of course I'm not dead Clint!"

Clint stepped back, a huge grin spread across his face.

Thor, happy to see Coulson alive, picked him up in a bone-crushing hug. "Son of Coul! Tis good to see you among the land of the living!"

Once everyone else had said their hellos and congratulated Coulson on his miraculous recovery, Fury had everyone sit back down so Coulson could report on how things had gone with Steve.

"Well sir, Steve has managed to befriend an ex-informant of SHIELD, Scarlett Carters. She's currently looking after him and says that she'll help him to get back on track, although I do believe that Steve needs to see that his teammates still care."

Director Fury nodded at this information. "Scarlett is a good kid; she'll keep him out of trouble. Stark, I'm ordering you to get your ass down to Boston and apologize. Thor, I need you to return to Asgard and get Loki as well. He needs to apologize too."

"I too agree with you Director. It is high time Loki took responsibility for his actions. I will do as you ask and return to Asgard to find him." Thor all but boomed as he spoke.

Director Fury nodded and continued, "Agents Romanoff and Barton, I need you to accompany Stark and make sure that he does as he's told."

Tony rolled his eyes, "Come on Nick, I'm a big boy, I can take care of myself. I don't need any babysitters."

"Oh yes you do Stark, especially since you're not bringing the Ironman suit."

"What?! Why not? It's the fastest way to get to Boston!"

"I have my reasons Stark. Now, get moving!"

Bruce, who was sitting quietly next to Tony, spoke up. "What about me, Sir?"

"You will be on hero duty. Since the rest of the Avengers will be off getting Steve back, we need you here to fight any moron who tries to destroy New York, or the world. Again."

Bruce nodded and everyone left to go and get their Captain back.

…

Tony, for the recorded, did not like people telling him what to do. He especially didn't like Director Fury telling him what to do, so when he got to Boston, you can bet that he tried his hardest to escape his babysitters and go get a drink.

Well, he tried. In the end, Natasha and Clint wound up half-dragging half-pulling Tony up to Scarlett's house.

They ringed the door bell and waited a good five minutes with no answer.

It was Tony who spoke first, "Well, it looks like nobody's home, guess we'll just have to come back lat…" He sunk to the ground, unconscious.

Natasha and Clint quickly turned around to face the street, wondering what had happened.

Clint bent down and pulled out a tranquillizer dart from Tony's neck. The next second, he had one in his hand, and Natasha had one on her upper arm.

They both were unconscious in seconds.

…

Thor arrived safely in Asgard and quickly used his hammer to fly to Loki's room. He normally would have exchanges pleasantries with his friends and parents, but he was there on urgent business, and he needed to get back to Midgard with Loki as soon as possible.

As soon as he reached Loki's room, he found Loki seated next to his tall window overlooking the gardens.

As soon as Thor entered the room Loki spoke, "Hello brother." His voice was sad and filled with guilt.

"Good day brother." Thor couldn't help but to be excited that Loki had called him his brother.

"I really messed up didn't I?"

"Maybe, but I believe that you can still fix it. Come back to Midgard with me brother, and apologize to the good Captain."

"Very well Thor, I will do as you ask, simply because I do not know what else to do."

Thor thought that was too easy, but he thought nothing of it; instead, he grabbed Loki by the arm and flew them to the Bifrost site, which had been repaired as part of Loki's punishment.

They then made their way back to Earth as quickly as they could.

…

As soon as Loki and Thor's feet touched the ground, they were unconscious. Someone was expecting them.

Now, all that was left was Bruce.

Divide and Conquer after all.

…

_A/N: so this ends Chapter 5. I'm also going to be changing the title to divide and conquer, so beware of the title change. Thanks to everyone who reads and reviews and follows and favs!_


	6. Death has no face

Chapter 6

Death has no face

_A/N: Not much to say. I don't really like where this story is going, but here we go. More action as promised._

_P.S. I hate the way this chapter turned out._

…..

For the record, Steve never liked waking up in pain on a cold, hard surface. Also, he didn't like waking up not knowing where he was or who had tried to kill him this time. He also didn't like it when enemies from his past came back to haunt him.

"Hallo Captain."

Schmidt.

"I trust that you are comfortable here in my little domain?"

Steve didn't know how Schmidt could still be alive. He thought that he had been killed by the Tesseract. This didn't seem possible. What did Schmidt want? He was no longer a hero. He had nothing to fight for… except Scarlett.

Scarlett had been hit by the explosion too. She could be injured, or worse. She could need immediate medical attention. Steve knew that he had to help her before she was hurt… or killed.

Steve quickly turned his head from side to side, trying to find her. What he saw shocked him:

The Avengers, all of them, even Loki, were bound by chains to the wall on Steve's right. They all looked uninjured for the most part, but that didn't stop Steve's stomach from twisting into a knot. They were all unconscious, which didn't sit too well with Steve.

Schmidt saw Steve struggling and laughed, "Relax Captain. Your team mates are fine. You should be worried about yourself, and that little girl. Scarlett's her name, yes? I shall enjoy making her watch you die."

Schmidt walked away and Steve heard a metal door close behind him. As soon as the door was closed, the metal cuffs holding him onto the table released, and he fell to the floor in a painful heap. Immense pain shot up his left arm and he rolled over onto his back.

"That arm doesn't look too good Cap'."

It took Steve a moment to place the voice, "Scarlett?"

"No. It's the Easter Bunny. Of course it's me Steve." Scarlett walked out from the shadows next to the metal door.

Steve gasped. Her face was severely burnt on her right side. Also, her right leg was severely scorched, and she had a large hole in her side which was bleeding heavily.

"Scarlett… Are you ok?" Steve knew that it was a pretty dumb question, since she obviously was NOT ok, but he just didn't know what else to say.

"Don't worry Cap'. I'm fine. Believe it or not, worse things have happened." By now she was standing next to him, and she helped him to sit up, and then to slowly stand. "So, Cap', do you have a plan?"

Steve sighed heavily. "No."

Scarlett smiled, "Well then, it's a good thing that I do."

Clint and Stark had both woken up and were listening to the conversation when Stark spoke up, "How did you get here? Like into his room? You weren't there before."

Scarlett smiled, "We all have our secrets." She walked (or limped, but wouldn't admit it) over to the Avengers and waved her hand. The air glimmered slightly and the chains binding the Avengers to the wall disappeared and they all fell to the ground. "Come on, let's get out of here."

Once everyone else was awake, and Thor helped Steve to stand, Scarlett led the way out of the room and into the building. The building was creepy and deserted.

They soon made their way back into daylight where Director Fury and a few small jets were waiting for them.

"Agent Carters. Good work."

"Thanks director."

Director Fury led the way and the Avengers followed them. Scarlett stayed behind and silently slipped a piece of paper into Steve's hand.

He looked at her questioningly but was unable to ask her anything before being swarmed by SHIELD medics.

The jets took off and Scarlett stayed behind. Steve wasn't strong enough to fight off the Red Skull a second time. Scarlett was. After all, the Red Skull had created her.

She turned back to the building in front of her and was unsurprised to find Schmidt standing there. She pulled out a gun, and fired.

…

As soon as Steve had a peaceful moment without being swarmed by medics or apologizing teammates, he opened his hand to read the paper Scarlett had handed him.

She hadn't approached him, but he was hoping that the medics were helping her to get better.

His breath caught in his throat as he read what she had written:

Dear Steve,

I am sorry, but I can never see you again. It's complicated and I can't tell you in writing. Look into my file at SHIELD and you'll find everything you need to know.

Also, Steve, I need you to do some things for me. First, I need you to make up with the Avengers and continue to be their leader. They need you Steve.

Second, stop staying stuck in the past. The past is the past and it's time you let it go.

And finally, wake up.

…

Steve sat up quickly, panting. He had no idea what had just happened. He shook his head to clear it. It was a dream. The whole thing had just been some crazy dream.

He swung his legs off of his bed and laughed. He had never dated Tony, Loki was still a villain. Scarlett didn't exist. Schmidt wasn't still alive.

His laughter stopped abruptly as he saw a small metal object resting on his dresser that wasn't there the night before.

His whole body shook with emotion as he walked over and pick it up. Clicking it open revealed a picture of Peggy, just as perfect as the day the ship crashed all those years ago, and sitting next to where the compass laid was a note that simply read:

~Scarlett

…

_A/N: The end! Yay! Sorry, I know that it was really bad there towards the end, but I really don't like where this fic was going, so I decided to end it while it was still semi-salvageable._

_Anyways, I'm writing another fic called: Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar_

_If you guys would check it out that'd be great!_


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